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New York, 3:56 PM
Fri Dec 11
66 posts in the last 24 hours

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of deciBels deciBels
    12/08/09

    In reply to TV Makers, Please Stop Putting Bullshit in Your TVs
    The point is that they can find ways to justify prices higher than they could if it was just a TV with a good picture. The prices of TVs are now dropping to the point that they are approaching the cost of the raw materials and manufacturing. This is driving their profit margins down to nil. They are looking for any--empty--excuse they can find to keep that price and profit margin up.
     Reply
    deciBels was starred deciBels was unstarred
    Image of MrEvil MrEvil
    12/08/09

    In reply to TV Makers, Please Stop Putting Bullshit in Your TVs
    Am I the only one that thinks the development effort and funds could have been better spent on things other than Twitter or Facebook?

    Seriously, I don't use social networking or Twitter and I'm tired of companies wasting time putting this stuff on devices that don't really need it.
     Reply
    MrEvil was starred MrEvil was unstarred
    Image of blash blash
    12/08/09

    In reply to TV Makers, Please Stop Putting Bullshit in Your TVs
    You sound like the guy that says, "I don't want my cellphone to play music. I don't want to surf the web on it or write emails on it. I just want it to do voice calls, and I want it to do them well."

    Welcome to the Convergence Age Brian.
     Reply
    blash was starred blash was unstarred
    Image of ripfire ripfire
    12/08/09

    @blash: You're going to compare ~$200 gadgets with $11k ones?

    Read the last paragraph (or second to..)
     Reply
    ripfire was starred ripfire was unstarred
    Image of Joe Stoner Joe Stoner
    12/08/09

    In reply to TV Makers, Please Stop Putting Bullshit in Your TVs
    Those little extras that you don't like are bullet points on Best Buy tags, though. Imagine you're a regular person who doesn't know the difference between LCD and plasma. All you know, when shopping for a TV, is which screen is bigger, which one looks brighter (and therefore better), and how much they cost. For you, all there is to differentiate the screens in front of you is the little tag on each screen.

    It boils down to how many bullet points are on the list, and after exhausting your brain with the whole electronics store experience, you'll narrow it down to three choices - and one of them has "Yahoo widgets." You don't know what that means, but it seems like something cool, and you've heard of Yahoo.

    It doesn't matter so much to the brand that sells the TV whether or not you use it after you bring it home, but they know that you at least subconsciously added some value to that particular TV, and they got the sale.
     Reply
    Joe Stoner was starred Joe Stoner was unstarred
    Image of Gundem Gundem
    12/08/09

    In reply to TV Makers, Please Stop Putting Bullshit in Your TVs
    No.

    Having flicker is a great addition. Having media center is a great addition. Havening last Fm and you tube is a great addition.

    I disagree with this blog.
     Reply
    Gundem was starred Gundem was unstarred
    Image of Merricat Merricat
    12/08/09

    @Gundem: I purchased my previous TV shortly after getting a part-time job while in college. Had the DTV switchover not occured, it'd still be my TV. It's lasted over a decade and it still works fine.

    In a decade, Flickr will be "MShoo Photos Live PLUS!" all the API's for accessing it the way your TV would will have been changed. Last.FM will have been shuttered, with twelve new companies providing similar, better, or more interesting services in that area. H.264 will be refered to as the codec only Old People in Korea use.

    In other words, unless you consider your TV disposable (and if you do, there is only a few things wrong with that) all these wizbang features are going to be either useless or completely outdated compared to anything a box you could buy for one tenth the orginal price of your TV can do for you.

    When TV's break the price point where buying a new one every year is as common as some people do with commodity computers, adding this sort of content directly to the firmware (and inflating the price) seems reasonable. Till then, it's just thowing money away.
     Reply
    Gundem promoted this comment Merricat was starred Merricat was unstarred
    Image of Fossa Fossa
    12/08/09

    @Gundem: I don't think you understood his point. The issue is not whether or not having this content is good or bad. His point is that the content is readily available from existing technology which can be replaced more easily than an expensive TV.

    LastFM has been around for seven years. Flickr has been around five years. Twitter has been around for three years. Are you going to tell me you know what sites and services you'll be using five years from now?

    Digital content and functionality move quickly, quick enough that intelligent consumers want to avoid being tethered to outdated content by a piece of equipment that costs several thousand dollars to replace. Never mind paying more for that content knowing it will likely die off long before the TV does.

    This is the digital equivalent of TVs with built in VHS players. The difference is that here the technology that is going to make the additional content obsolete is moving much, much faster. Take it from someone in NBC Universal's Technology Growth Center . . .
     Reply
    Gundem promoted this comment Fossa was starred Fossa was unstarred
    Image of Axelph Axelph
    12/08/09

    @Gundem: Actually, you just disagree with Brian Lam, you cannot throw everybody on you disagreement.
     Reply
    Gundem promoted this comment Axelph was starred Axelph was unstarred
    Image of Gundem Gundem
    12/08/09

    @Fossa: Solution: Leave your Tv open to future updates and additions. Have a universal OS for all your TV and provide widgets.
     Reply
    Gundem was starred Gundem was unstarred
    Image of Gundem Gundem
    12/08/09

    @Axelph: well that...
     Reply
    Gundem was starred Gundem was unstarred
    Image of Gundem Gundem
    12/08/09

    @Merricat: as mentioned below. TV OS should be upgradeable.

    If a TV comes with widgets and add-ons there should be room for upgrading and enhancement.

    Phones, computers, MP3 players do it. Why not TVs?
     Reply
    Gundem was starred Gundem was unstarred
    Image of Fossa Fossa
    12/08/09

    @Gundem: The issue then is that most people feel a TV shouldn't have an operating system that does anything more than turn input into output.

    An open OS with an app market isn't going to work very well for several reasons.

    The biggest issue is simply the hardware. There's a reason Apple's iMac style never caught on with other companies. Most people, normal people, don't want to buy a new monitor when they need to upgrade their computer. Same principle applies here. Again, the difference is that the stakes are higher since the TV costs thousands of dollars.

    Additionally, a huge percentage of Americans are 2-screen consumers. This means that they use a computer while watching TV.

    There is a rapidly growing market for 2-screen apps which supplement video content with additional information on a second screen (Check out FoxPop some time. I think you'll like it).

    Is everyone going to have a computer with them when they watch TV? Certainly not, but the people who would be interested in widgets almost certainly will. I assert that there is nothing you could integrate into a TV that couldn't be done better on a laptop (again, upgradeable) unless it was incredibly content specific.

    And if that's the case we have 2-screen apps.

    Oh, and 1-screen apps/iTV. Thanks to the new EBIF standards that are evolving as part of the Open Cable initiative digital TV is finally going to be a reality in the US (and only a decade behind schedule!) meaning that a lot of things that could be content specific widgets will be integrated into the broadcast and manipulated through your cable box.
     Reply
    Fossa was starred Fossa was unstarred
    Image of Fossa Fossa
    12/08/09

    @Gundem: A better question is "Why not monitors?" and the answer is easy. You don't want to buy a new monitor every time you have to upgrade your computer.

    Phones get upgraded frequently, on average once every two years. Computers have a similar obsolescence period.

    Any content processing hardware will be upgraded or replaced and needs to have a price point that reflects this.

    This is not the case with TVs. TVs cost thousands because while the content processing game is rapidly evolving, the content displaying game is not. That's the main reason people are comfortable spending so much on televisions, they know the device will be used for a long period of time.

    With that in mind, the idea of paying more for a TV in order to have it do things I won't want it to do for the majority of it's service life is ridiculous.
     Reply
    Gundem promoted this comment Fossa was starred Fossa was unstarred
    Image of Gundem Gundem
    12/08/09

    @Fossa: I see. You deserve a Star for this comprehensive lay out.
     Reply
    Edited by Gundem at 12/08/09 7:26 PM Gundem was starred Gundem was unstarred
    Image of frigg frigg
    12/08/09

    In reply to TV Makers, Please Stop Putting Bullshit in Your TVs
    You said it brotha!

    On a footnote, I wonder what Apple's forthcoming TV will be like? Or do we wait until the Tablet is released before we start speculating about their TV?
     Reply
    frigg was starred frigg was unstarred
    Image of PurpleMonkeyDishwasher: PurpleMonkeyDishwasher:
    12/08/09

    @frigg: You think they are going to come out with a TV? I highly doubt they'd compete in that market.
     Reply
    PurpleMonkeyDishwasher: was starred PurpleMonkeyDishwasher: was unstarred
    Image of dragonfire312 dragonfire312
    12/08/09

    @PurpleMonkeyDishwasher:: Oh, it won't be a TV. It'll be an "Apple" TV.
     Reply
    PurpleMonkeyDishwasher: promoted this comment dragonfire312 was starred dragonfire312 was unstarred
    Image of JDickson87 JDickson87
    12/08/09

    @frigg: Apple's forthcoming tv? I haven't heard about it, but I'll give you the rundown on it (no "speculating" here!):

    -Unibody, made from a single piece of Aluminum
    -LED lit LCD
    -Includes Apple TV, and only apple TV; no auxiliary inputs or outputs except for the apple proprietary adapter
    -Want HDMI? That converter is $150.
    -Remote only has "Power" and "Volume" functions- and no buttons, only gestures. Buttons are so archaic.
    -Pricing starts at $3,500 for the 27" set, up to $18,500 for the 60 in LCD
    -It will change your life, and in the words of Steve Jobs, it's "awesome."
     Reply
    PurpleMonkeyDishwasher: promoted this comment JDickson87 was starred JDickson87 was unstarred
    Image of PurpleMonkeyDishwasher: PurpleMonkeyDishwasher:
    12/08/09

    @dragonfire312: Ohhh, so it will be overpriced and come with only one button to control all functions.
     Reply
    PurpleMonkeyDishwasher: was starred PurpleMonkeyDishwasher: was unstarred
    Image of dragonfire312 dragonfire312
    12/08/09

    @PurpleMonkeyDishwasher:: Actually, it won't have any buttons. Multitouch all the way!
     Reply
    dragonfire312 was starred dragonfire312 was unstarred
    Image of ossuary ossuary
    12/08/09

    In reply to TV Makers, Please Stop Putting Bullshit in Your TVs
    Amen Brother Beavis.

    If you want to get gadgets/goodies, get a damn media box (ala WDTV or something else).
     Reply
    ossuary was starred ossuary was unstarred
    Image of Schalliol Schalliol
    12/08/09

    In reply to TV Makers, Please Stop Putting Bullshit in Your TVs
    I'm totally with you. I want the best quality, with several inputs, no speakers, no extra-large bezel designed to make the TV look bigger than it really is. Great post. I love how Giz is putting sensible editorials out like this these days.
     Reply
    Schalliol was starred Schalliol was unstarred
    Image of PurpleMonkeyDishwasher: PurpleMonkeyDishwasher:
    12/08/09

    In reply to TV Makers, Please Stop Putting Bullshit in Your TVs
    I think the features are fine as long as it doesn't affect the price significantly. I mean, you can just turn them off and they might be a nice thing to have for some people. I imagine that in the near future a TV will be just like a PC where you can choose to install apps/widgets or not but still have wireless access etc. And further in the future, maybe there will be one main computer in the house which will talk to and/or control all electronics in your house
    (i.e. TVs, Bluray players, thermostats, washing machines, dishwashers etc.) Eventually everything will be interconnected and you'll be able to monitor your energy usage and schedule when to use your appliances.

    Wow, did I go on a tangent, what were we talking about?
     Reply
    Edited by PurpleMonkeyDishwasher: at 12/08/09 5:45 PM PurpleMonkeyDishwasher: was starred PurpleMonkeyDishwasher: was unstarred
    Image of nutbastard nutbastard
    12/08/09

    In reply to TV Makers, Please Stop Putting Bullshit in Your TVs
    agreed. we want tons of inputs, a tuner, and pretty pixels. that's it.
     Reply
    nutbastard was starred nutbastard was unstarred
    Image of lostarchitect lostarchitect
    12/08/09

    In reply to TV Makers, Please Stop Putting Bullshit in Your TVs
    Here's a request that might not be so popular: Stop making A/V equipment that forces me to use it in one specific way.

    I have a Samsung TV and a Samsung Blu-Ray disc player, and an Onkyo receiver. The BD player passes through the Onkyo on its way to the TV.

    Now, the BD player also plays CDs, which I would (of course) want to hear via the Onkyo. However because they are both Samsung, whenever I turn on the BD player the TV instantly comes on. If I turn the TV off, the BD player goes off.

    Argh. I can't listen to a CD without the TV on, unless I unplug the TV. If there's a setting to change this, I couldn't find it.
     Reply
    lostarchitect was starred lostarchitect was unstarred
    Image of magron magron
    12/08/09

    @lostarchitect: is that because they actually tell eachother to go on/off or conflicting IR codes from the remote?
     Reply
    lostarchitect promoted this comment magron was starred magron was unstarred
    Image of Algerad Algerad
    12/08/09

    @lostarchitect: Look for settings relating to Anynet+ (Samsung's name for HDMI-CEC). You should be able to turn it off I would think. I know my LG TV lets me turn off its implementation of HDMI-CEC.
     Reply
    lostarchitect promoted this comment Edited by Algerad at 12/08/09 5:40 PM Algerad was starred Algerad was unstarred
    Image of lostarchitect lostarchitect
    12/08/09

    @Algerad: I will look for that, thanks!
     Reply
    lostarchitect was starred lostarchitect was unstarred
    Image of lostarchitect lostarchitect
    12/08/09

    @magron: It's not the remote, it happens when I press the physical buttons on the devices.
     Reply
    lostarchitect was starred lostarchitect was unstarred
    Image of TailsNZ TailsNZ
    12/08/09

    @lostarchitect: There is an option to turn this off thankfully. On most Samsung TV's it's called Anynet+, if you go into the main menu there should be a page for that, and you can disable it.

    If that doesn't fix it, if your Onkyo has a setting called HDMI Control, turn that off.
     Reply
    TailsNZ was starred TailsNZ was unstarred
    Image of lostarchitect lostarchitect
    12/08/09

    @TailsNZ: Thanks for your help, I will check that tonight.
     Reply
    lostarchitect was starred lostarchitect was unstarred
    Image of OCEntertainment OCEntertainment
    12/08/09

    In reply to TV Makers, Please Stop Putting Bullshit in Your TVs
    I agree with every statement in this article.

    Naturally it will never happen.
     Reply
    OCEntertainment was starred OCEntertainment was unstarred
    Image of Xagest Xagest
    12/08/09

    In reply to TV Makers, Please Stop Putting Bullshit in Your TVs
    Yes please. I don't like paying for extra features that already come with my HTPC...
     Reply
    Xagest was starred Xagest was unstarred
    Image of Geisrud Geisrud
    09/28/09

    In reply to Panasonic's 50-inch 1080p 3D Plasma on Track for 2010
    These 3D movies are annoying and the effect takes away from the experience, not add to it.

    I sincerely hope this craze goes away soon.
     Reply
    Geisrud was starred Geisrud was unstarred
    Image of Woz Woz
    09/28/09

    @Geisrud: If you had seen this specific technology in action at one of the Panasonic demo's they did across the country, you wouldn't be saying this.
     Reply
    Geisrud promoted this comment Woz was starred Woz was unstarred
    Image of Geisrud Geisrud
    09/28/09

    @Woz: Granted that I did not attend one of the demo's, and that my statement's are subjective; I stand by them.

    I have seen several movies in 3D in recent months. In all cases I found it distracting and gimmicky. The only reason I saw them, was my inattention at the box office, and I didn't realize they were 3D.

    I recently took a survey about a movie I very much want to see, in which one question was "Does knowing that this movie will be released in 3D make you want to:
    A)Absolutely see it
    B)Maybe see it
    3)Don't care / doesn't affect decision
    4)Maybe not to see it
    5)Definitely not see it.

    My answer was emphatically #5. I definitely do not want to see that movie, or any other, in 3D.
     Reply
    Geisrud was starred Geisrud was unstarred
    Image of Woz Woz
    09/28/09

    @Geisrud: The technology is considerbly better in what Panasonic is doing which would make it much improved over what your currently seeing in theaters. It was no contest, granted it was a controlled environment with source material designed specifically for the demo.
     Reply
    Woz was starred Woz was unstarred
    Image of Software_Goddess Software_Goddess
    09/28/09

    @Geisrud: I like the new 3D technology. It is a huge step from the red/blue technology and I agree that it is at times distracting from the story, but I see it as a step toward perfecting the art. I look forward to a more realistic form of 3D that makes you feel as a part of the story and not just a spectator. What fun games will be when 3D is perfected!
     Reply
    Software_Goddess was starred Software_Goddess was unstarred
    Image of SEDAGIVE?! SEDAGIVE?!
    09/28/09

    In reply to Panasonic's 50-inch 1080p 3D Plasma on Track for 2010
    Yes, but will 3D at home ever be anything more than a gimmick?

    (Excluding the inevitable holographic imaging)
     Reply
    Danny Allen promoted this comment SEDAGIVE?! was starred SEDAGIVE?! was unstarred
    Image of Danny Allen Danny Allen
    09/28/09

    @SEDAGIVE?!: For cable TV outside the U.S--sport was the driver, so it could be the same here. To that end, the NBA has done tets...and Sky in the UK is looking at 3D football and Olympics broadcasts. That *could* be what gets it past the line.
     Reply
    Danny Allen was starred Danny Allen was unstarred
    Image of SEDAGIVE?! SEDAGIVE?!
    09/28/09

    @Danny Allen: I could actually see sports being interesting in 3D...
     Reply
    SEDAGIVE?! was starred SEDAGIVE?! was unstarred
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